Current Events



"Opening of the Far East" DBQ



[[ B You Yeon Jae Jenny Unit III Ancient History ]]



WHAT DO RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY HAVE IN COMMON? And, WHY IS THE STUDY OF RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY IMPORTANT?
On your own wikispace (see left margin for your respective class) find your name, and open the wiki. Click edit and answer the questions above in complete, well considered sentences.

Religion and Philosophy are both beliefs and ideas that are accepted in people's lives. They both give directions in life, such as what to do or what to change to make the way of life better. They are not meant to be persuasive, but they have greatly affected what people believe in, and basically their lives. There aren't evidence that philosophy and religion are correct and right, but they give some directions in life, which can help people to stay on the right track and give good advices. Also, religion and philosophy can help people to understand one's culture. Not only they will help to understand the characteristic of an individual, they both give strong moral lessons in life which people can apply in their one lives.


Religion Assignment:


  • How does your religion impact your identity? Be sure to describe your journey (even if it is on-going).
- "Christian-from-birth"
- Getting Baptized twice
- Bible Studies
- Pastor's Sermons
- Prayers
  • How does your religion impact your family?
- The whole family = Christians
- Little worships during family meetins and on holidays
- Better relationship with God every day
  • How does your religion impact your society (and even the world)?
- "Unification"
- Keeps the community together
- Spreading and Becoming bigger


Zen Buddhism
*On Alex Jung's Wikipage*


Comparison Chart of Buddhist Schools



Haven't I Seen You Somewhere Before?



Notes on Confucius and Confucianism



What Would Confucius Do?



The Tao of Pooh Discussion Questions and Quotes




Reflection of the Poem - Assignment #1
  1. Why does the author choose a butterfly?
The author chose a butterfly because butterflies always change and it has its ability to change from a caterpillar to a butterfly. The change from one thing to another thing shows that everything in life changes and nothing stays forever.

  1. What is the importance of the water cycle?
The water cycle represents how things change in an endless cycle. It means that humans must change as the world changes.

  1. What is the point about the 'man raising melons'?
The man is a farmer who works hard to gain things that he has in his life. This shows that high status or rank is a temporary joy that people reach, and possessions in life will come and go.

  1. What is the author attempting to convey to the reader?
The author is trying to convey that all things go though changes in life which is ongoing, and people should live their lives to the fullest.


Essential Quotes of Taoism
Go to the Essential Quotes of Taoism above and read through them. Be sure to note down answers to the following questions. (Be prepared to share your answers):
  1. In Lectures on the Tao Teh Ching, Lao-Tzu says, that, "The mystery of the Mysterious is the gateway to all indescribable marvels". Does this quote have an equivalent to in Christianity? Are there other parts of the Tao Teh Ching that remind you of Christian ideals?

I think the part of the quote,“all indescribable marvels”, is similar to Heaven in Christianity, because the characteristic of Heaven is described as mysterious in Christianity. The quote, in Christianity, would mean that by believing in God will give the gateway to heaven. Also, “That which has no name is the origin of heaven and earth; That which has a name is the Mother of all things.” reminded me of God. In Christianity, God is the father of all things and he can’t be described as anything else, but himself.

  1. See Passage 2, "Not honoring men....Not wanting rare things...Not paying attention..." How are does this help one understand how Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism found common ground and were not mutually exclusive belief systems?

Those lines help us understand how Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism found common ground and were not mutually exclusive belief systems by showing that they share a little bits of common traits as they coexisted. The ideas of not honoring men, not wanting rare things, and not paying attention relate to the ideas of one should value those who are educated not about background or status (Confucianism), not desiring to reach Nirvana (Buddhism), and not thinking about unnecessary things (Taoism).

  1. In Passage 2, what do you think is meant by the lines, "relaxing the mind, reinforcing the abdomen, gentling the will, strengthening the bones"?

I think those lines is another example of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, saying that they are different belief systems. Relaxing the mind is related to Taoism since Taoists believe in Inner Peace. Reinforcing the abdomen is related to Confucianism as they enhance the Inner Mind. Gentling the will is related to Buddhism because they try not to have desires in life. Strengthening the bones is related to all three beliefs, because they all try to reach Inner Peace.

  1. Consider the last three entries from D.C. Lau's Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu describes government. How is this ideal different from Confucius' ideal? What present day system of government are you reminded of when you read this section? Do you think this is a good system? Explain.

This ideal is different from Confucius’ ideal, because his ideal was that the government should lead in the right way to develop as a whole. If the government is not organized, the nation cannot develop and the society will be corrupted. To have an organized and proper society, the government needs to be lead and teach the people in the correct way.

  1. Regarding the third treasure that Lao Tzu describes, what do you think is his message? Do you agree? What does this say about people who are ambitious?

I think Lao Tzu’s message is that someone who accepts and understands his own position is more likely to succeed and reach the high rank position than a person who is not modest about his own position nor the high rank position. I disagree with Lao Tzu because one needs to work hard since competition exists in our world. This says that people who are ambitious fail to reach their goals because they work hard to be better than others as they try to reach their goals.



Legalism



Shintoism